National park
Murchison Falls National Park
The Nile explodes through a seven-metre gorge
Location
North-western Uganda
Size
Largest national park in Uganda (about 3,840 km² including surrounding reserves)
Murchison Falls is Uganda's largest and most-visited savannah park, where the Victoria Nile forces itself through a narrow gorge barely seven metres wide before crashing into the delta below. The result is one of Africa's most powerful waterfalls — and the centrepiece of a park that also holds rich wildlife on both banks of the Nile.
Game drives on the northern bank reveal elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, buffalo and huge herds of Uganda kob, while boat trips up the Nile bring you close to hippos, crocodiles and a staggering variety of waterbirds, including the prehistoric-looking shoebill stork in the delta.
Wildlife
- Elephants
- Lions
- Leopards
- Giraffes
- Buffalo
- Hippos
- Nile crocodiles
- Shoebill stork
- Uganda kob
Activities
- Game drives
- Boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
- Hike to the top of Murchison Falls
- Delta birding cruises
- Sport fishing (in designated areas)
- Chimpanzee tracking in the adjacent Budongo Forest
Getting there & best time
About 5–6 hours' drive from Kampala via Masindi, with the last stretch through the park itself. Most visitors combine it with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the way.
Best time: Wildlife viewing is best in the dry seasons, from December to February and June to September.
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